A list of offensive coordinator prospects suitable for the Cleveland Browns and Kevin Stefanski.
The Cleveland Browns fired three offensive coaches just days after losing to the Houston Texans in the wild card round on January 13.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported on Wednesday morning, January 17, that the organization had opted to remove offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. The Browns will also part ways with running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney.
With the new offensive coordinator position open, Kevin Stefanski will look to bring a sharp and imaginative offensive mind to the staff. Here’s a list of plausible candidates…
Breaking: I’m told the #Browns have fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, per source.
Some of the players are upset from the news.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 17, 2024
Darell Bevell – Quarterbacks coach/Passing game coordinator, Miami Dolphins
Bevell was the Minnesota Vikings’ Offensive Coordinator from 2006 to 2010, working alongside Stefanski. In 2009, his Vikings offense was fifth in yards and second in points.
Bevell was the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2017, winning the Super Bowl in 2013.
Bevell has worked alongside Brett Favre, Brad Johnson, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, and Tua Tagovailoa.
Under coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have the top passing offense and the second-highest scoring offense in 2024.
Tim Kelly – Offensive Coordinator, Tennesee Titans
Kelly has been the Titans’ offensive coordinator for two seasons, but with Head Coach Mike Vrabel being sacked at the end of the season, Kelly will most likely be looking for new opportunities. Typically, a new Head Coach wants to hire his own staff.
Kelly is noteworthy because he was the offensive coordinator during Deshaun Watson’s breakout season in the NFL.
He was with the Texans from 2014 to 2021, and he was the offensive coordinator for three seasons (2019-2021). Two of those seasons were spent with Watson as quarterback. Watson’s success in Kelly’s offense makes him a viable option for Stefanksi.
Zac Robinson – Passing-game coordinator/QB coach, Los Angeles Rams
Robinson has spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the last two as quarterback coach and pass game coordinator.
Prior to joining the Rams, Robinson worked as a senior analyst for Pro Football Focus, a leading analytics website. He has been one of the site’s top pro and collegiate quarterback evaluations since 2016.
Robinson spent four seasons as an NFL quarterback, being selected by the Patriots in the seventh round (250th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He later had brief stints with the Seattle, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Liam Coen – Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach at the University of Kentucky.
Coen was the Los Angeles Rams’ coach for three years under McVay. In 2021, Coen returned to college football as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Kentucky, where he assisted Will Levis in being selected in the second round of the draft.
Coen returned to the Rams in 2022 as McVay’s offensive coordinator before joining Kentucky in 2023.
His expertise as an offensive coach in college and the NFL, along with his crucial time under McVay, make him an intriguing prospect.
Shane Waldron, Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
Waldron began his NFL career in the front office before moving on to coaching in New England.
He comes from the Mcvay coaching tree, having spent 2017-2020 with the Rams before being hired as the Offensive Coordinator in Seattle alongside Pete Carroll. Carrol is no longer the Head Coach as of the end of the season, hence Waldron’s future with the squad is uncertain.
Nick Caley, Tight Ends Coach, Los Angeles Rams.
Caley began coaching at John Carroll and was hired by the New England Patriots after 10 years at the collegiate level.
He spent seven years as an offensive assistant in New England, from 2015 to 2022.
He was the tight ends coach for McVay in Los Angeles this season, making him a name to watch. The McVay coaching tree piques the curiosity of coaches around the league, and for good reason: the league is replete of coaches who have gone on to achieve offensive and defensive success after working with McVay.
Caley interviewed for the positions of offensive coordinator with the Patriots, Texans, and Jets last season.
Klint Kubiak, Pass Game Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
Kubiak began his NFL coaching career as an offensive quality control coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2013 to 2014, working alongside Stefanksi.
Klint’s father, Gary Kubiak, assisted Stefanski during his entire season as offensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2019, while Klint served as quarterbacks coach on that staff.
He takes over as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2021.
Kubiak, who will be 37 in February, already has over a decade of experience working with offenses, and his recent year on the 49ers’ coaching staff has made him even more appealing to teams looking for a new offensive coordinator.
Jerrod Johnson, Quarterbacks Coach, Houston Texans
Johnson has had a huge impact on the development of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Johnson has coached Kyle Shanahan for a year, Frank Reich for three seasons, and Kevin O’Connell and Bobby Slowik subsequently.
Johnson’s endorsements from all those offensive minds, combined with his excellent track record in quarterback development, make him an impressive contender who will receive a lot of attention following what he and Slowik accomplished this season.
Brian Griese, Quarterbacks Coach, San Francisco 49ers
While Brian Griese lacks play-calling experience, the Browns do not want a play-caller. The former NFL quarterback spent the previous two seasons working under Kyle Shanahan.
Griese discovered Brock Purdy and helped bring him to San Francisco. Purdy emerged as an MVP candidate in 2023-24 while under Griese’s management.
Griese will be considered as a potential offensive coordinator during this hiring cycle.
Cam Turner, Quarterbacks Coach, Indianapolis Colts
Turner worked with Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona for four years, eventually becoming co-passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Turner, who was on multiple coaching shortlists last cycle, collaborated with Shane Steichen this season, putting him on several teams’ radars as an emerging offensive talent.
